isang18
Maybe Indiana. Probably Greece.
A classic for a reason
This show appears on many must-watch lists but I think it made only one appearance on US television not long after its release. It has now been brought to a wider audience by Netflix after having depended on fansubbers for decades.
The key themes and tropes are classic cop show stuff: rookie detective fighting the power and kicking ass. However, it does not take The Man lightly and sometimes The Man does win. There are episodic battles and victories but the final showdown is slippery and elusive. The conflict is so open-ended that enough meat is left on the bone for nearly as many follow-up films as Star Trek. If you like clean, decisive, flag-waving triumphs over adversity you should prepare yourself for a lesson in nuance.
Bayside Shakedown is well cast and very well acted. A confidently directed group of skilled actors lets the story speak for itself. Lines are blurred between heroes, villains, and anti-heroes. The characters are solid and believable. The character interactions are credible. The romance is limited but natural and unforced. The comic relief is more sitcom than OTT. It's about as complete as it gets.
If in some way it reflects attitudes of its time it's being realistic rather than dogmatic. In that sense I will say that, the universal smoking habit aside, it has aged unexpectedly well. You will definitely get more out of it if you're from a country or of a generation that can relate to dealing with an entrenched bureaucracy, byzantine regulations, or a Kafkaesque organizational culture, and like seeing those things challenged or subverted. The modern North American audience will find the "Reefer Madness" commotion over less hash than the average Coloradan can consume in a weekend, if not baffling, at least a bit amusing.
It's never a priority for me but I will note that the music is an oasis in the sea of cheaply produced garbage that Japanese television is still half-heartedly trying to wean itself off. It adds to the atmosphere instead of interfering with your enjoyment.
Should you watch Bayside Shakedown? You have an unqualified YES from me. Not only because it's a touchstone with references or homages in many later works but because it's a good show in its own right. It's been nearly three decades since its release but, not being Japanese and without being influenced by nostalgia, I can still rate Odoru Daisousasen a solid 9 in 2025.
The key themes and tropes are classic cop show stuff: rookie detective fighting the power and kicking ass. However, it does not take The Man lightly and sometimes The Man does win. There are episodic battles and victories but the final showdown is slippery and elusive. The conflict is so open-ended that enough meat is left on the bone for nearly as many follow-up films as Star Trek. If you like clean, decisive, flag-waving triumphs over adversity you should prepare yourself for a lesson in nuance.
Bayside Shakedown is well cast and very well acted. A confidently directed group of skilled actors lets the story speak for itself. Lines are blurred between heroes, villains, and anti-heroes. The characters are solid and believable. The character interactions are credible. The romance is limited but natural and unforced. The comic relief is more sitcom than OTT. It's about as complete as it gets.
If in some way it reflects attitudes of its time it's being realistic rather than dogmatic. In that sense I will say that, the universal smoking habit aside, it has aged unexpectedly well. You will definitely get more out of it if you're from a country or of a generation that can relate to dealing with an entrenched bureaucracy, byzantine regulations, or a Kafkaesque organizational culture, and like seeing those things challenged or subverted. The modern North American audience will find the "Reefer Madness" commotion over less hash than the average Coloradan can consume in a weekend, if not baffling, at least a bit amusing.
It's never a priority for me but I will note that the music is an oasis in the sea of cheaply produced garbage that Japanese television is still half-heartedly trying to wean itself off. It adds to the atmosphere instead of interfering with your enjoyment.
Should you watch Bayside Shakedown? You have an unqualified YES from me. Not only because it's a touchstone with references or homages in many later works but because it's a good show in its own right. It's been nearly three decades since its release but, not being Japanese and without being influenced by nostalgia, I can still rate Odoru Daisousasen a solid 9 in 2025.
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